SARIKEI: The tradition of using the ‘sumpit’, a traditional blowpipe of the Dayak community, should be promoted and passed down, especially through competitions.
Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister and Sarikei MP Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii said the younger generation can turn to blow piping to learn and appreciate traditional skills.
Huang, who is also the Repok assemblyman, added that it also could become an attraction for tourists to come and learn about the local culture.
“The blowpipe is a traditional weapon of the Dayak community in Sarawak. It encompasses the skill of using tools for shooting in ancient times and was one of the most important tools in daily life at that time.
“Nowadays, the traditional blowpipe has become a hobby or art that has its own unique value,” he said in a text delivered by his representative, Gung Chiu Kion, during the closing ceremony of the open blowpipe competition in Sungai Buluh Meradong recently.
The activity, organised by the local Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK), was held in conjunction with the Gawai Dayak Festival.
Huang congratulated the organisers for organising the blowpipe competition.
